Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of when wee Union of Genius cafe first opened its doors. Congratulations and hip hip hooray!
For our birthday last year I wrote a blog that looked back on Union’s growth and development over the previous year. I reflected on how far we’d come and introduced you all to our newest team member, Dumbo the Soup Van.
It’s safe to say that our third year has been no less awesome than its predecessors. The cafe has gone from strength to strength; Dumbo successfully cut his teeth on the festival circuit; we’ve taken our soupy wares to several new Edinburgh eating establishments; newest soup-pals Ruth, Audrey and Charlie have grown our team immeasurably.
But I thought, you can’t always be looking back and living in the past, can you? So this year, let’s look to the future. What’s in store for Union of Genius in its fourth year?
A wet and wintery Edinburgh brings out the best in us, so we’re already looking to spread our soupy love to cafes old and new across the city. Several fantastic soupportunities have recently arisen and we’re delighted to have our liquid wares now served in Ensign Ewart on the Royal Mile, Poddington’s at Straiton Park and the Strange Brew Tea Co, based at CODE hostel on Rose St Lane North.
We’re also hoping to cast our net further afield, to the outskirts of Edinburgh and to Glasgow. At the moment, we’re considering the best way to get our products to more distant friends, without compromising our commitment to eco-friendly approaches. All suggestions welcome!
Our main man, Dumbo the soup van, will continue to venture out to Musselburgh races throughout the colder months. We don’t think it’s a gambling problem he’s got, just an equine fascination. We’d also like to take Dumbo to more winter events and are exploring the possibility of attending a regular market.
In the warmer months our focus for Dumbo will shift to personal events. Dumbo is available to hire for weddings and other celebrations of all kinds. We’ve been chuffed to serve our soup and meal pots at a few weddings already this year and we hope Dumbo will be present at many more in the future – even if it’s just an excuse for Jan to get dressed up…
Lastly, we’ll be turning our thoughts to something bigger and bolder. We’d love to expand our family and have begun to put plans in place to acquire a second cafe. We’d like to build the Union brand with a similar but slightly different cafe experience – we just need the right location. And that’s really crucial. No one likes a new pair of jeans that don’t quite fit and we don’t want the shop-equivalent of muffin top, thank you very much. So it could be a long process, but these things shouldn’t be rushed. We’ve got our eyes open to the opportunities around us. And when we find the perfect spot, you’ll be the first to know.
So join us today in raising a bowl of soup to Union of Genius, three years serving the Best Soup in Scotland! Cheers!